Comic Prequel: Star Trek Countdown to Darkness

Yesterday at the New York Comic Con, IDW Comics announced that a four-issue comic prequel to next year's "Star Trek Into Darkness" will be released in early 2013. The series will be entitled, "Star Trek Countdown to Darkness", with Mike Johnson and David Sessons producing the comics. This series is intended as a direct lead-in companion to the story in "Star Trek Into Darkness". [Cosmicbooknews.com] has posted a captured image of the first issue cover of "Star Trek Countdown to Darkness", which was briefly shown at IDW's Comic Con panel.

By the way, Ralph, I had to drive into Manhattan yesterday (my daughter had a college interview), and as I emerged from the Lincoln Tunnel near the Javits Convention Center, I was impeded by a bunch of comic con-goers in full superhero, sci-fi, or anime costume. You weren't one of those people, were you?

By the way, Ralph, I had to drive into Manhattan yesterday (my daughter had a college interview), and as I emerged from the Lincoln Tunnel near the Javits Convention Center, I was impeded by a bunch of comic con-goers in full superhero, sci-fi, or anime costume. You weren't one of those people, were you?

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Gustavo over at Trekweb says the individual on the cover of the comic prequel is Gary Mitchell. It does look like him.from the other comic he was in.

Ok, KingDaniel. But how would they explain it in a film? In ST2009 Spock Prime explained about Nero by vulcan mind meld and many people didn´t understand. Unless it has many flashbacks.

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What needs to be established? Mitchell and Kirk were friends in TOS, they crossed the Great Barrier and Mitchell's eyes went funny and he got Telepathic powers. There's really nothing of Mitchell's history that needs to be explained, and they don't even need to make Mitchell and Kirk old friends.

He could just be sitting at a station on the Bridge without any introduction other than Kirk calling out his name and rank and asking for a status, and whatever causes Gary Mitchell to become the Villian happens.

I explained my theory a few months ago. If Cumberbatch is a shapeshifting Captain Garth or Trelane, his first meeting with Kirk could be masquerading as Gary Mitchell. Kirk then realizes the being is a shapeshifter and tells it: "You're not real. My friend Gary died months ago!" No need for anyone to have read the IDW comic. A simple, throwaway easter egg.

Of course, if Cumberbatch is Trelane, perhaps he is also Koloth?

That comic cover image is so blurry, it's impossible to discern much from it. I tried enlarging it. Allyn says he saw a clearer version, IIRC.

Whoever it is it's someone in a gold shirt Starfleet uniform. The person's face is half covered in darkness (appears to be a starfield) and half in the light. It makes the guy look malevolent. It doesn't really look like Chris Pine but it's so blurry it's hard to tell.

While I can appreciate the allegorical aspects of that episode, and appreciate the "Literary Science Fiction" feel to that story (as if it was a short story written by Ray Bradbury in a Science Fiction Anthology magazine), I can't help but think those half-black/half-white faces wouldn't quite work in a major motion picture.

But, yeah -- I agree that the story told in "LTBYLB" could be a great movie, but if executed in a slightly different manner.